


under one roof

by becharlatan



Series: Operation Tortoise: Hoppy [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Romance, russian translation, updated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-04-15 07:39:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4598424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/becharlatan/pseuds/becharlatan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hoppy wakes up on the wrong side of his shell; Louis helps him, Harry feeds him strawberry slices and Hoppy looks at the silver bands on their fingers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	under one roof

**Author's Note:**

> this is a short sequel of Operation Tortoise: Hoppy. The entire fic is in Hoppy's pov. hope you'll enjoy it just as much you liked the first one.
> 
>  **EDIT: 02/22/16** [Russian translation](https://ficbook.net/readfic/4041630)

Hoppy rolls on his shell. He tries his best to get back on his feet. He’s been sleeping for hours now, fully satisfied with two pieces of lettuce Harry had tossed him last night. But, he’s awake now and he doesn’t even know how he ended up lying on his shell upside down. He might have flipped while dreaming on lettuce leaves and some carrot slices.

It would be a dream come true, Hoppy thinks, a dish filled with carrot slices and lettuces. It would be nice and it would make him grow big. Don’t get him wrong, he loves lettuce and wouldn’t replace it for anything else in the world. However, carrot slices are like food for the gods; think about how Louis cherishes burger or Harry loves insufferable amount of kale in his shakes all the time. It’s divine, if Hoppy’s being honest. 

He blinks his black stud eyes and tries to turn around for the nth time. He might be lying on his back for almost an hour now and Hoppy might raise the white flag anytime soon because he knows doing this on his own is completely aimless. 

Hoppy would sometimes think that being a tortoise is even more stressful than being Harry or Louis everyday, if he’s being completely honest. 

Hoppy loves his person, Harry, that is. Hoppy wouldn’t dare cross a supposedly hour travel which took him eight hours of tortoise speed walking just to knock on Louis’ office and make Harry happy again. If you’re wondering why Hoppy travelled all the way to Louis’ university instead of going to his flat, you should know, Hoppy doesn’t work well with stairs. Yeah, just like Harry. 

They’re the perfect duo back then. They are still now, if Harry needs a someone to go against Louis. 

However, Hoppy doesn’t do favoritism so whenever Louis is the one in need of a tag team, he’ll let Louis whine at him. Hoppy is dealing with kids, he would reply, if you ask him. 

He knows that having Harry is the best thing that had happened to him when Hoppy saw Harry a few years back in that old pet store in Manchester. He hated the employee taking care of their aquarium. He never feed them properly and he never cleaned their aquarium. Hoppy won’t forget Marcus and how he loathed that lazy employee. 

\-- 

Hoppy was really, really happy when he saw Harry on his way out of the pet store that day. It was like finding the carrot slices in his dish. (Marcus was the worst, he never gave him carrot slices.) It was like magic. He knew he had to be with Harry. 

It’s funny how he asked his friends to make a tortoise tower so he can climb with his stubby legs out the pet store. One tortoise had doubted he can make it out, but Marcus, who is completely useless, left the door open. 

He knew that no one will buy him as pet. People don't like green, slowpoke, smelly tortoises as pet. Everybody adores cat, or dog, or hedgehog, or bunnies. Hoppy is just doing himself (and Marcus) a great favor. 

Hoppy always knew he was different, knew he was strange, as what other tortoise would tell him, queer. He’s too energetic for a tortoise, always curious and craving for adventure. He loves to explore that is why he enjoys it best when Harry places him on his head. Hoppy can see great things when he’s sitting on Harry’s head. The best view, that. 

When he met Louis in the lift, he knew he would be the best thing for his person. Louis is the perfect guy for Harry. He noticed it all: the small talks, the ‘friendly’ dinners and even the way his person had looked towards Louis whenever they would see each other on the lounge, balcony, lift or hallway. Hoppy knew that his person is smitten to Louis. He almost wanted to shout at Harry but every time he snaps his mouth right in front of Harry, his person would just coo at him and tell him that he’s cute. Hoppy needed not to compliment, rather, he wanted to initiate something. He wanted to tell Harry to man up, come on! But, Harry always thought that his wiggles and resistance are just his way of getting more lettuce. Well, that too, if Hoppy’s being honest. 

He knew he had to do something when he saw Harry sulking and moping for weeks after the paper aeroplane incident. The moment Harry rushed inside the flat after reading it and locked himself inside the room, Hoppy knew something awful had happened between his person and the man he likes. He saw the crumpled paper just beside his cage and snapped it in his mouth. It took him an hour and a half to drag it inside his cage and kept it there. If Harry asked him the next day about the paper, he just hid inside his shell to tell Harry that he knew nothing. 

Hoppy was smiling like a weird tortoise on high when he saw Harry and Louis cuddle on the couch after his long escapade towards the university that day. He decided that it’s better to babysit Lyka than babysit his person especially in times of pining and naivety. And, when he thought he’s the slowest creature between the three of them, Hoppy would beg to differ. Hoppy just rolled his eyes thinking about how long it took those two to confess their feelings for one another. 

\-- 

Hoppy stares at the wall across his cage. There’s the crumpled aeroplane framed and hanged on the wall. Hoppy had tried his best to hid it from Harry but alas, when they had moved to a new flat, Harry found it. He thinks it looks cute in there new home. He’s not really the one to decide how interior design should work but as long as Louis is finally living with them then it’s all good. 

He wiggles his feet again, attempting to flip his body on his feet when he hears the door creak open. He silently cheers because someone is finally awake and someone will help him to get on his feet. And, breakfast would come to his aid. Hoppy couldn’t even explain his excitement. 

“Tea?” he hear Louis ask and Hoppy snaps his mouth to get Louis’ attention. If Hoppy’s being completely honest, he like Louis better. Louis treats him like an adult tortoise. Louis helps him to get on his own, lets him discover places, find out things. Harry always treats him like a baby. It’s not that he doesn’t like it, but sometimes Harry’s acting over dramatically about his little escapades. 

As if Hoppy can’t go home on his own. Need Hoppy to remind Harry that he's a tortoise, they travel with their houses, please. Hoppy snaps his mouth and wiggles furiously to make light tapping sounds on the wooden floor. The curve of his shell rocking on the floor. 

“Oh,” Louis says and Hoppy glides his head inside his shell and out again. Louis laughs and kneels down to push Hoppy on his feet. Hoppy looks up, his black eyes flashing at Louis. He sees Louis flash a smile at him, Hoppy knows his person is a sucker for Louis’ smiles. Hoppy can relate, truly. Louis wears a beautiful smile, sharp edges and all, but still sweet. 

“Bet you’re hungry, Hop-hop,” Louis comments as he walks to the kitchen, bringing Hoppy with him. Hoppy nods slowly and Louis laughs. 

Hoppy has to admit that the new flat is bigger compared to the old one. He still gets lost in it most of the time. He only knows his cage but whenever he needs to go back after walking around the house, he finds himself stumbling at the wrong direction. One time, he got himself locked in the laundry room for hours. It’s a good thing that Harry always looks for him. Well, he couldn’t blame his person, after that incident, Harry made sure to lock him in the house whenever they would go to work. 

Harry still fears that his tortoise might turn into soup even if Louis jokingly reasons that it were the turtles and not the tortoises. 

“Waffle?” a voice cuts his thoughts and he moves his neck to look at Harry who leans closer to pat his head with a finger. Hoppy blinks and rigidly snaps his mouth as if telling the two humans to feed him already. 

“Yeah, babe,” Louis replies as he places Hoppy on one of the stools and opens the fridge for a lettuce. Hoppy watches as the wedding band on Louis’ finger shines. He sees Harry prepare Louis’ waffle with a side of sliced strawberries. Hoppy eyes the strawberry and wishes Harry would give him, or he can plead Louis to give him instead. That always works. 

\-- 

Harry and Louis were married last year. It was a simple garden wedding in Manchester. Hoppy was the ring-bearer. He was ecstatic because his person is finally tying the knot after three years of pining on Louis. 

Louis had brought Hoppy with him to choose for an engagement ring on a jewelry store in the streets of London. He was sitting in Louis’ bag (because unlike Harry, Louis feels it weird having Hoppy nested on his head) as they search for the perfect ring. Louis had chosen a few and Hoppy would either hide inside his shell if he didn’t like it or snap his mouth enraged if he thinks it's the one. Apparently, Both him and Louis are fickle minded creatures. It took them hours to settle for a simple silver band with a small jade on the middle. Green because Harry’s eyes is green and Hoppy is green. 

Hoppy was there when Louis went to Harry’s vinyl records and antique store on the day he had decided to propose. Louis pretended to help a customer when he got there and secretly played The 1975’s Fallingforyou on the background. Hoppy watched as Harry stopped explaining to a customer upon hearing the song because it was Harry’s favorite song of the band. Harry turned to look at the player and saw Louis approached him. 

Louis stood before him and opened the small box they purchased a week ago. Harry cried and nodded exaggeratedly. Louis smiled and slipped the ring in Harry’s finger. Hoppy stared at his persons, plural now, and smiled before hiding inside his shell for a nap. He knew very well what happens next after such emotional day: sex. 

On the day of their wedding, Hoppy was in a basket, the rings on a pillow atop his shell. Wheels were attached on the sides of the basket so that Hoppy would reach the end of the aisle in time. Niall was the one controlling the wheel and Hoppy couldn’t thank everyone for making his persons happy. He watched as Louis promised to be with Harry in sickness and in health and listened as Harry croaked out words of true love and eternity. 

Later that afternoon, Hoppy feasted on strawberry slices and carrots. He couldn’t ask for more. 

\-- 

“Zayn sent a text asking if we can babysit for Lyka tonight,” Harry says and Louis looks at him behind the mug. Harry beams and Louis only rolls his eyes. 

“I guess I have to postpone checking my class’ essays for tonight,” Louis says as he takes a forkful of fruits. Hoppy sets his eyes on the strawberry a few inches (kilometres, in Hoppy’s case) away from him. Louis must’ve noticed because he picks a slice and gives it to Hoppy who looks at him with glee. He devours the strawberry and continues to listen to the couple. Louis nods and beams at him, the glasses on the bridge of his eyes, slightly falling. 

“I hope it’s alright,” Harry says. He sits beside Louis and tucks his chin on Louis’ shoulder. Louis glances at Harry and grins. He wraps an arm around Harry's waist and play his fingers on Harry's hip. 

“Of course! That would be a good practice,” Louis says and Harry looks at him curiously. “I mean, kids the size of a football team, yeah?” 

Harry nods furiously and leans in to place a kiss on Louis’ lips. They laugh in between kisses and Hoppy closes his eyes when he sees Louis pushes his tongue in Harry's mouth. Hoppy is still shaken whenever he sees the two of them getting torrid and on. 

Thankfully, the messy lip-locking ended quickly and Harry nuzzles his head on Louis' neck. He steals a slice of waffle and Louis kisses his curly hair. 

Hoppy continues to munch the fruit. He hears Harry and Louis discuss about work, about random things, about Hoppy and their new home. Hoppy sees at how Harry and Louis looks at each other with such fondness. He sees true happiness and sickening love and Hoppy wonders how wonderful it would be to have and babysit for the little Harry and Louis once they’ve decided to have kids. 

He watches as Louis takes Harry's hand and presses the silver bands together. Hoppy stares at their linked hands and smiles at the wedding rings. He knew Louis is the best thing that happened to Harry. He's really really certain.


End file.
